Beyond the Angel's scream
by ceasare
Summary: AU in which Eden never died and part of Brockton became permanently Quarantined due to the Simurgh's attack. Young Taylor Hebert and Victoria Dallon are trying to escape and find the truth about the Outside.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY: AU in which Eden never died and part of Brockton became permanently Quarantined due to the Simurgh's attack. Young Taylor Hebert and Victoria Dallon are trying to escape and find the truth about the Outside.**

 **/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\/\\\**

Record 332XD98, witnessed by PRT Id:000002 (Alexandria)

Record given by Oracle, Classification: Precognitive (Does not interact with other precognitive powers.) / Thinker

 _The High Priest will Fall and the Angel shall weep  
As the Third dies underneath a bloodied moon._

The monster in the closet angers, and the Jackal in  
Sheep's clothing merrily rejoins the nine.

The High Priest will Fall, when the Jackal arrives.

 **\- The Oracle (Record 332XD98, Precognitive, Classified and redacted as ordered by Rebecca Costa Brown, access limited to WATCHDOG)**

* * *

This story starts with a whisper heard by everyone. It is silent, but everywhere; it makes people uncomfortable and wary; and then in the middle of the night 'She' appears. Her flight is slow and steady, unheard and unseen as she descends. She is blind to the present, only a singular 'past' and trillions of 'futures' swim in her head. She has spent her entire life calculating this moment, and even now she isn't sure if it will work.

In the following distraction, thousands will die; they are irrelevant. Only one person lives here that is necessary and all the others will only assist in that. Buildings topple and fire consumes everything. Only this man's end goal must be assured. A small pebble is telekinetically thrown, the target will step on it and stumble, this single occurrence will lead to a single event years from now.

Her vision narrows on that single future moment, a moment that hasn't taken place yet but surely will. She can hear his voice, smell his sweat and simulate his thoughts as he walks over his wife's half-eaten corpse, towards his daughter.

"Come here Taylor," he smiles and she smiles back, "I just want to take a small bite, bitebite **bite**!"

* * *

The balisong danced in my fingers, light whooshing and clicking sounds like music to my ears. I'm not sure when this obsession started, but it did. It developed like a nervous tick, always itching in my brain.

Something. Anything. Everything that fits! I had to spin and press it in my hands at all times. Knives, pencils, pens, toothpicks, whatever! Like an annoying itch it wouldn't go away. And so I'd spin, throw, catch.

 _Spin. Throw. Catch._

And as the blade danced I danced alongside with it, underneath his arm, slice. He yelped but I kicked him in return. His buddies rushed me but I dodged to their left and kicked the one's knee before rolling sideways barely dodging the second's stab. The ugly one – looked like one of Marquis' men – growled, "Marquis will come personally one of these days…" he threatened.

I couldn't help my smirk as I kicked him in the neck, "Marquis can go fuck himself, alongside the Old Folk!"

One of the guys I had ignored tried to punch me in the back, instead he got Victoria-ed right into the wall. I shot her a glare, imbuing my facial expression with a 'What-the-fuck-Vicky?' but it flew right over her head…

"What?" Vicky shot me a look of disbelief and innocence, "He was going to punch you!"

"I knew he was there!"

"Take all the fun, why don't you!" she pouted.

I tried to keep the smile off my face but failed, "You said you had some news?"

"I said," she started floating towards me, idly pushing the downed thugs with the edge of her bare toes, "I have some news from Sophia and her doggies!" she finished with a sing-a-song tune.

"Anything good?"

"Mhm, they found something, near the edge. There were men there, about five minutes into the hole; they just guard a gate or something like it at least." I sat down on the alley's edge to consider her words.

 _Spin. Throw. Catch._

Why were they guarding a gate? No one would want to go outside, not with the Angel roaming; even then there was nothing living outside. Only Brockton Bay remained. Or so the Old Folk said, at least. Could they be right? I didn't know. The last thing I saw about the Angel was an old newspaper that talked about the Angel's effects. Ten years had passed since that day, since the Simurgh attacked. The Old Folk say that a Tinker named Dragon insulated the city. But that made no sense. Not when I heard it back when I was six, and not now. The Angel attacked Brockton Bay and when Pa, Ma and I got out of the bunkers we were underneath the Dome. There was no time for the Dome to be erected like that. I wish I had more information...

I looked at Vicky as she checked around the alley's corners. I assumed she was just looking for people to beat up, "How many?"

"They say between six and nine; depends on time and day."

"And you trust her?"

"Trust? I wouldn't trust her farther than I could throw her – wait, that make no sense for me; than you can throw her?" She giggled, "...anyway; I do know that she won't lie when stamps are in play."

Vicky started fidgeting and wringing her palms when I narrowed my eyes. I sighed, "You traded all of them didn't you? New supply is next week Vicky and the Old Folk is looking for us..."

"Why are we staying out of it? Those two old codgers can't do shit to us anyway!"

"Because I'm almost sure that they know the truth about the 'Outside'! They know shit that they shouldn't know; they get new people we've never seen – sure, it could be that _daughter_ of theirs, – but I don't think it is. Vicky; they have a way out — and it's definitely not fighting nine (possibly) powered people we know nothing about!"

"That doesn't explain why we aren't working with the Old Folk. If they have a way out, then it's easier to just play along until they tell us."

"And have their daughter fuck with our heads? You have good chances of being immune to that shit, but me?" I asked her.

"Then let me go by myself?"

"No, " I rolled my eyes, "the last thing I need is Amelia somehow turning you gay for her or something."

"Eugh," Vicky pouted and kicked one of the groaning mooks in the ribs, "Fiiiiine! Sorry for thinking I could help." She crossed her arms and slumped comically, I snorted and grabbed her by the arm.

"Cmon, don't worry too much about it. Let's go kick Andreas in the dick!"

* * *

We left the alley on foot, it was still bright and we could enjoy the few moments we had on the market on our way to the Wasteland. The market was just a rundown street filled with merchandise that could be exchanged for stamps. We couldn't buy anything, what with Vicky exchanging our stash for information, but I couldn't bring myself to be angry at her. She smiled as she checked some of the hand made rags and sandals while I merrily followed behind her, a crooked smile playing on my lips while she mock-haggled the prices.

If Vicky ever reverted from her seven-year-old body to appear at her true age, she would have been a stunning beauty. Whereas I was tall and gangly, sickly pale and way too skinny; Victoria had pale milky skin with blonde hair and a slender tall — for her physical age – physique. She never griped or complained about her appearance, but even I could see that she wanted more.

She wanted to like boys her age, she wanted to wear clothes her age, and most of all she wanted people to treat her like her age. Instead, people treated her like a prepubescent girl even though she could rip a spine clean off a body in seconds. My very own older-little-sister in everything but blood.

"Do you think we'll manage to get out? One of these days, soon?" she asked me while she eyed some of the knives on display.

I stared at her for a moment, "Soon? I don't know. But I think we'll manage in this year. There are some things we need to check, and some people we need to talk to. Then we can make a plan."

"You think Sophia meant it, when she said that Daniel can build anything?" she asked.

"With the resources in the Dome? I'm not sure, the only one who has access to technology is Marquis and maybe, maybe Allfather. We might have to steal some of it."

Victoria grinned a toothy grin in response, "I'll bust their heads open, just gimme the say-so."

It took us ten minutes of flying to arrive at the Wasteland. It reeked and was filled with all the trash in the Dome. Even better, most of the trash was pre-Angel era old. Victoria let me on the ground and flew at Andreas who promptly dodged her onslaught.

"Stop trying to kick me in the dick!" Andreas was dancing around Vicky's half hearted attempts at mutilation; she was floating around the junkyard giggling.

My attention drifted to his friend. Where Andreas was tall, well-muscled, and confident, Daniel was a quiet shy guy. Scrawny and skittish like a mouse. He was playing around with random junk, trying to cobble some contraption or another, Sophia had told me something really interesting about him, something even the Old Folk didn't know, "I need your help."

He almost jumped in surprise at that, "M-My help? What?"

I smiled cordially, leaving him enough space to feel comfortable. The last thing I needed him to feel was threatened, especially since Andreas would come down on us like an angry mother bear.

"You remember Vicky's and mine goal? We talked about it the other day." He snorted softly.

"Suicide by Angel, huh?" I smiled.

"One man's suicide is another man's something, or another, no?" I smiled, his cheeks got red for some reason and he cringed.

He leaned back into his contraption and started fiddling with wires, "I'm not sure how I can be of help. Even if I was, you'd be unable to pay for it."

I scratched my neck and sat next to him, "I remember Andreas telling me about this thing you loved, 'Video games' it was called?"

Daniel sucked a breath in and his fingers jittered but it was Andreas' silky voice that sounded behind me, "Vicky might be a flying brick Taylor, but make no mistakes. In your place, I would choose my next words very, very carefully."

I could feel Vicky's dissatisfaction at his threat, our two groups had managed to establish something of a tentative friendship over the years and I didn't want to ruin it. Even so he really couldn't do anything if we decided to do something; so the whole macho shit wasn't impressing anyone. Even so, I liked them and they were the closest thing to a friendship Vicky and I had.

"Help us get out. Do that, and I will bring you anything you want from outside. Once we prove that the world hasn't ended, you can go outside too. If we fail? Well, atleast you will know that you were right."

Daniel looked at Andreas for guidance, and Andreas clicked his tongue in irritation, "We can't get you outside; there are no exits and you know that Vicky can't crack that thing. Besides, there's nothing for you outside."

I felt my eyes narrow at his wording. Nothing for _us_. No clue how Andreas of all people had info on the 'Outside' but I would have to grill him later, Vicky hefted me bridal style into the air and I pointed at Daniel, "he can build anything. Once. So I want anything that can get us outside, or that info goes to the Old Folk. In the first place, you were lucky that bitch Sophia owed me and didn't go straight to Marquis herself."

Vicky took cue of my intimidation tactics and promised Daniel to squeeze his brain out of his asshole like a noodle. He squeaked and hid behind Andreas who just rolled his eyes – huffy jerk.

We flew away.

* * *

I hated this place, this town, these people. At the same time I loved them. They were my life; my personal hell and heaven. Underneath the gray ceiling that should have been the sky and dim orange lamps that should have been the stars, I felt safe and yet in danger. We, Vicky and I, were trapped animals. Meant for so much, but restrained. Chained in a huge cage, that should have been enough space for us to gallop and hunt.

We knew not, and couldn't know — Yet we dreamed of the Outside. Or at least I did. Victoria would just drift wherever life took her. Her invulnerability stemmed from the fact that she somehow was frozen in time. She was sixteen now, a year older than me, and yet her body was just the same as when she was seven. A doll frozen in time.

Still, after ten years of living in this cesspool I couldn't deny my attraction to it. While in school — which the Old Folk operated for all kids, they had told us about the 'before'. About such useless things as laws and courts; interesting things such as green paper and metal coins; intriguing things such as numbers and art.

All the books and paintings I could read and see!

Marquis visited once. Delivered a speech about laws — rules he called them. He talked of life and death; of morality. I hadn't known the word back then being barely able to read, but now I would call it cynicism and hypocrisy.

Even then I heard of the whispers. Whispers and echoes amongst the tattered dark streets and alleys, of a man named Marquis who held his own daughter captive and healed only those who obeyed. All others disappeared never to be seen again.

Murmurs of a girl my age who was now nothing but a husk of flesh and bone. But Marquis didn't care about cynicism. Only for the children's glazed eyes as he spoke of duty and heritage; valor and honor.

Useless sweet nothings and bitter everythings.

There was a whole world outside waiting to be explored. The same world that caged us and threw away the keys. Many – maybe everyone – would say that it was the Angel's song that did it. But I had read of its powers. I knew what Quarantine meant now – even if it was a banned word. The outsiders – if there were any – thought we were all insane beasts — and maybe we were. But probably we weren't; my father was an insane beast. In comparison Marquis was a benevolent leader.

I opened my eyes to greet a dark room. Vicky was wrapped around me like an eel soaking up my warmth. She smelled nice; as nice as anything could smell in Brockton. I lightly pushed her arm away and stood up.

The shower was cold as always, and I let the icy water wash away the sweat. My chaotic thoughts were running rampant and I needed the time to push them into order, control them. Marquis wouldn't let up unless I met him. I wasn't strong enough yet, not with this power. There weren't enough people who I could use either. Most of the powered men and women worked either for Marquis or Allfather — the Old Folk.

They policed the streets and laid down the law.

When they heard that I triggered they decided to recruit me. Victoria was always a target, a seven year old that could bench a truck and fly faster than Allfather's mook, Purity.

Her family was out of town when the Angel attacked, so chances were high that they were already dead. I took her in, taught her to read and write. The rest as they say is history.

My feet took me down the stairs, the dust swirled and danced around my aching limbs. On the tattered couch lay a letter. My heart started pumping and I looked around for anything out of place. There was nothing. I picked the paper and read the contents.

Damn. Fucking Sophia. My eyes roamed over the dirty piece of paper once then a couple times more.

"...Marquis knows about the fags, we need to talk."

I guess I had to rush through my plan, after all...

* * *

Andreas looked at Daniel frantically putting together his thing. What it was he had no clue, nor cared to know. The Dome's light turned purple signifying evening and the mechanical voice called Mother echoed across the Dome's expanse that two hours remained till nightfall. A sigh escaped his lips as he lit a cigarette.

"Every time you tell me you're ready, and yet every time she comes here you fumble around like a child."

Daniel didn't respond until Andreas poked him in the ribs, "Lay off dude! It's not like… Damn… I'm a pussy, ain't I?"

Andreas sniggered in response and threw the smoke away, "Eh, don't sweat it too much. That chick's scary. Remember what she did to those dudes back in school?"

They both laughed at the memory, "I get jitters every time she looks at me. Like – y'know? I'm the 'almost' adult here, respect my authority! And she's like 'say one thing wrong and I'll smear you on the pavement' and then I remember that she's Taylor and not Vicky. By that time she's onto something else and I can somehow breathe easier. Does that make sense?"

Andreas looked at him with his lips in a tight line, "Nope. No sense at all, you're just a pussy."

"Fuck off." he grouched.

"You're going to help her, aren't you?"

Daniel looked lost, "I – I, yeah. Yeah I will. I don't want to though."

"We'll never see them again if you do."

"We'll never see them again if I don't."

"Touché."

Andreas looked around the junkyard and eased his voice into a silent whisper, "Before I snuck inside, the attack was on the news. The Dome was designed by someone called Sphere, he is a Tinker like you; only his power lets him create ecosystems."

"That's cool an' all," he drawled as he picked up another tool, " but what does it matter?"

"You will need that for your project. Probably. See, if he designed this place to be impenetrable, then there is no physical way out. You'll probably have to teleport them out."

"There must be an entrance somewhere, we keep seeing new people all the time. After all these years, I doubt it's newly triggered normies; besides with what you know, it makes sense that they somehow sent guards. Hell, these cigarettes you smoke are being mass produced somewhere. I doubt that Dragon built a Tobacco industry along the farmlands."

Andreas smiled softly, "Yeah. The drones probably protect it though. There used to be a PRT base outside the Dome, they probably rebuilt it on the entrance or something."

Daniel contemplated that for a minute as they sat in silence, "Say Andy, if I succeed, would you be willing to go outside?"

Andreas sighed, "Most probably, I won't succeed."

"I don't understand… That makes absolutely no sense."

"Daniel, please believe me. If I even start a sentence trying to explain, I will dissapear and you will disappear too. So trust me when I say, I won't make it outside. But – But I won't be angry if you decide to go."

Daniel slapped him in the head, "Idiot, I can build anything once..." and so didn't see Andreas stiffen, "...I'll find a path to victory."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As I walked through the Valley, a certain memory kept replaying in my mind. A decadent classroom with no roof filled with children, me among the few who deserved the right to read and write. A daughter of the former Honorable people. Marquis sat in front of us, his spotless skin and youthful appearance a result of his daughter's power. He was smiling at us, and I could tell – even back then – that no matter the type of person he was, his words were worth listening. And so I hang onto his lips, and burned every word into my memory.

"Here, under the Dome we are one big family, " he said, "we live off of what we make, unlike the days before we can only succeed if we trust one another. One day soon, you will have learned everything we have to teach, and become part of the community. We are the last of this world, outside remain only soot and ashes."

The speech, even back then seemed like a prayer. As if, if we said it enough times, it would become etched in our brains, engraved in our hearts. Like me, every kid hung on his words, boys dreamed of being like him, argued about becoming his lieutenants.

Even back then I wondered. Didn't they see that it was all wrong? He was like my father, 'Joker' they called him. He could put a smile on your lips and make you happy. And as he carved away at your flesh, the only thing you could think was how happy you felt at your own misery.

Marquis was relaxed as he regaled us with stories of the past. One of us asked – I can't remember who – about the people who kept disappearing. My spine stiffened at his look; a forlorn gaze as if he was looking through us. He stood up and walked over to the window with steady, almost mechanical steps; "I don't like seeing them go, you know. Humans when alone or in small groups can achieve wonders, unthinkable deeds fitting of legends.

"But in groups…" he let another forlorn breath escape, "...in large groups, people cease to think. Their minds, one could say, shut down and they act as one dumb beast. Back then — way back before the Angel attacked — people explained that by citing evolution. See, we were monkeys once, and when a monkey saw another monkey run, it ran too. The dumb monkeys stayed still and often died to a predator. Even to this day this holds true.

"Always make the right choice, no matter what those around you do. Because those people you keep hearing about? Didn't. Don't be the dumb monkey, kids."

We sat in silence for a while. Emboldened by Marquis' lack of an angry retort I dared ask, "Do you… Do you think there are still monkeys out there? Outside the walls?" I knew the question wouldn't be well received. Some kids laughed at the absurdity of such a concept. As if they had already forgotten the way the sky looked and the scent of morning dew in the air.

His steely gaze made me flinch. Somehow, it was equal parts pride and disappointment. The same way my mom used to look at me when she caught me reading books I wasn't allowed to read yet.

He walked up to me and looked down. An ugly look appeared on his face that only I could see, and as if I was an amusing cockroach he chided, "There's nothing outside Taylor, " he said with a jovial tone, the same tone my dad used to playfully scold me, "...only soot and ashes remain."

The kids kept sniggering, my eyes fell on the floor and I only managed to murmur "Of course Father. Only soot and ashes."

Marquis stood there for a while. My heart kept beating and I was trying to control my breaths lest I start sobbing. Afterall no one could save me if he decided to disappear me. After what seemed like ages he nodded slowly and left the class. Even now still, I sometimes get goosebumps.

It was then, that I asked myself. How does he know? How does he know what happened to the outside? To this day, my only two possible answers are either that doesn't know or he does, and I don't know which of the two I'd prefer. All I know is that Marquis is the man who holds the keys to my freedom. I was hoping — praying even — that I wouldn't have to confront him to get outside.

But sadly, If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets.

"Hey. Stop that!" Vicky's voice brought my musings to a halt.

 _Spin. Throw. Catch._

"Stop what?" I said.  
 _  
Spin. Throw. Catch._

"Thinking." She rolled her eyes, "you keep doing that since we left the house."

I folded the knife and my eyes fell on the ground as we kept moving on the dirt towards the Dome's edge, "Sorry. It's just… We're not ready, yet."

"Marquis won't do anything, y'know. Andreas isn't stupid; there's a reason he was left alone." she scoffed and my eyes involuntarily twitched.

"I'm sure he'll carry Daniel on his back while dodging Purity and punching Marquis! Hell, maybe he'll use Daniel as a club and swing him!" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm even Vicky couldn't miss. Instead of taking it seriously she just chuckled. Chuckled!

"Vicky," I pressed on, "If they take Daniel, then we have to go all out. There will be no going back." I reminded her.

She smiled a wide grin with too many shiny teeth showing, "I've been waiting for so, so long Taylor! We'll get through this, you'll see! Nothing can beat us when I got these puppies." She flexed her bony arms and I snorted.

Our pace quickened and we moved on in silence. Vicky could always calm me down when needed,

***

When we finally arrived at Sophia's the door was already open. The place was ran down and rotten; a two-storey house in a neighborhood of similar and empty two-storey houses. There were holes on the sides with boarded windows and graffiti. Inside, we found her two stooges, one of them I even knew once. She had red hair and would have been considered beautiful if she wasn't practically emaciated. "Sophia eats all the food or what?"

She rolled her eyes and flipped the bird at me, "Fuck off, the boss is upstairs."

Vicky stayed outside as always, and I made my way upstairs. "Sophia!" I smiled and opened my arms for an embrace that never came to be, instead she just grunted and came forward. The lighting was bad but I could easily see the bruises on her belly and the bloodied blue eyes.

I winced, "Shit… They did a number on you, huh?"

"Piss off with your bullshit bitch. I got my ass kicked because of bimbo's deal."

"Yes, the info on the gate, yeah?" I sat on her couch which was patched up but comfy. She had a bucket in front of her which she used to clean off the blood. "I don't see how that's my problem. We paid a high price for that info."

"Not the gate, the fag. What's-his-name?" she waved an arm in vagueness.

"You owed me one, remember. You can't take a beating and so you opened your mouth first chance you got?" I glared at her, my lips settling in what I would vaguely call a scowl.

Sophia clicked her tongue in irritation or pain, I couldn't tell. She threw me a packet and I caught it in reflex. I looked at her, "What's this?"

"Open it."

Inside there were a number of stamps, almost half of what we had last week, "Why?"

She looked at me as if I was stupid, "The information I deal is only for those who bought it. Confi – confirmational or whatever. Marquis got the shit without paying, so if word gets out I'm screwed. That's your recompass. "

"Confidential. Recompensation."

"What?"

I clicked my tongue in irritation, "Whatever, doesn't matter. I get it." I stood up to leave, but she stopped me.

"Also remember, yeah? I ain't got no fucking _Victoria_ under me. My bitches get hit a goo'one they die, yeah?"

I nodded even though I didn't particularly care about her 'bitches'. What was done was done now, and I had to hurry. An idea popped into my mind and I turned to look at her, a grin on my face, "Hey Sophia?"

"Yeah?"

"If I gave you all these stamps, " I wiggled the package, "would you do me a favor?"

"Depends, what you want."

"Show me your power for ten seconds and you can have them back."

"Why?" she asked, eyes narrow and a frown on her lips.

"I can't tell you, but I won't tell anyone and I'll owe you one in return?"

Sophia stared at me for a long while. I could see the cogs turning in her mind as she tried to understand why I would make such a request. In the end she just shrugged and turned into a wraith. She floated for a while, but I could see how she started seeping through the floor like a nebulous dark cloud of dust. I walked up to her and shoved the package through her while touching the substance with my fist.

She jerked backwards and turned back to normal but I was already at the door making my way out. "Hey what was that? What the fuck?"

"Don't die Sophia! I need you alive for the next couple of weeks!" I shouted as I made my exit.

Vicky was orbiting around me as I flexed my arm in and out of darkness, "So that's how the bitch does it!" She shouted in triumph, "She fucking gets into the walls and listens to everything. Fucking skank! And all it took was some stamps?"

I smiled despite myself. Copying Sophia's power was a gamble. I didn't know her exact power beforehand, nor did I expect it was so easy to use. The one time I tried copying Vicky's power I ended up being unconscious for a week, never mind the fact that I couldn't walk without denting the road or go up the stairs without jumping through the roof. In the end I had to let it go because I couldn't get the instinctual understanding that Vicky seemed to posses.

Sophia's power was almost submissive as I used it. Whereas Victoria's power was a flood and I was a tattered cracked dam trying to stop it. "Do you think there's a place we could hide Daniel and Andreas?" I tried to refocus on our current objective. Chances were good that the Old Folk wouldn't focus on Daniel. He was the safest option off the Dome however, so I couldn't risk it.

"We could try and hide them near the hole?" she said.

I sat on the dirt and rubbed my forehead in frustration. Where could I even hide two people in the Dome? The entire place wasn't big enough to not be filled with either people or worker drones on the fields. I couldn't trust the drones, since depending on which of my theories were plausible, they were either neutral at best or active opponents at worst. The damn things were dangerous even if their sole purpose was tending the agriculture and other produce or maintenance. If I made it out of here in one piece, I'd shove my first down Dragon's throat.

The bell signifying noon echoed in the Dome and the brightness went up a notch. Mother's robotic voice registered the latest food centers. Would the duo even be at the Wasteland? Or would they go to eat, and if so at which center?

I kicked up some dirt in frustration, "Wanna check the Wastelands first and wait for them?"

Vicky shrugged and we flew off in their direction. The Dome was huge, and even with Vicky flying at a brisk pace we needed fifteen minutes to get from the edge to the wasteland which was located about three quarters of its diameter away. We landed at the entrance as always and walked the rest of the way. When we arrived at their usual spot, Vicky summed up our situation quite aptly, "Fuck."

Fuck indeed. Where Daniel worked his contraption lay a broken machine. It was beat up and mangled, on its side where Daniel sat last I saw him, were droplets of what I assumed was blood. I could even see footsteps and other tracks leading outside towards the north exit.

"I'm fucking stupid." I murmured to myself, Victoria looked at me askance, "Sophia could have woken us up last night, when she was in our house and told us about this. Instead she left us some cryptic message that I only saw by luck," I ground out, "now… Now I have copied her power and can't kill her. Great!" I snarled, "did she know?"

Vicky was glaring at the mess, "Does it matter right now?" she asked. "What do you want to do sis?"

A rudimentary plan took form in my head. The Old Folk had six capes, Marquis and Allfather who were the bosses, Iron Rain, Purity, Hookwolf, and Amelia. As far as I knew, Amelia never fought and always stayed in base, Allfather was so old he might as well be dead already, and Marquis though generally unpredictable would probably stay in the base as well.

I looked at her and could see her pleading expression as she realized my intent. The way her eyes glinted at barely repressed rage, I could only sigh and take a deep breath. This couldn't be a good decision on my part but she might as well, "...go crazy, Victoria."

"Finally! I've been waiting for this for so long!" she cheered and took off like a bullet.

I looked around and winced at my own stupidity. Who the fuck sends their ride away like that? It didn't matter I could test Sophia's power while making my way to Marquis' base.

The shadow form – no clue what Sophia called it – was extremely fast. I could jump off of a wall and switch to a wraith. Climbing buildings and jumping down became extremely easy, I just jumped through walls and made sure to keep away from crowded areas.

I managed to sprint up to our house in just shy of half an hour. I jumped through the door in a hurry and barely noticed the a shadow portal – whatever that was – that opened into our basement. Instinctively, I knew that Sophia couldn't do that, so I filed the tidbit away for later use. I stepped into it and fell right into our basement where I uncovered the hole in the wall to find my weapons. A couple knives and a handgun I had lifted off of a random grunt. After a quick check I was ready.

***

Afternoon was closing in when I arrived at the Old Folk's base. The base itself was a huge mansion in the center of the Dome. It was surrounded by tall walls and filled with gardens on the inside. After all these years I knew the patrols and schedules. They moved like a cohesive unit.

I winced when I heard the latest building topple. Let it be said, that Victoria can be really proactive when it comes to things she enjoys. Namely destruction and pandemonium and any combination thereof.

I steadied my breath and got ready. We'd be out by the time morning arrived; under the sky or three feet under.

***

Victoria would describe herself as a simple person.

She didn't want anything too complex and she already had all the tools to be happy. Even though she was trapped in a child's body. Even though she sometimes forgot to sleep because she couldn't remember what being tired was. Victoria would assure anyone who asked, that she was fine and dandy. She would never tell anyone that she hated being treated like a bothersome child. She would never admit that she was antsy. Her anticipation wound down like a spring, and every hour; every minute, it compressed a little more and ate at her patience.

No, sir! She wouldn't.

She was at a point in her life, where she could look deep into herself and find remnants of that scrawny seven-year-old crying for mommy underneath concrete and rubble. She didn't hate that part of herself, no sir, she didn't!

But as much as she detested memories of weakness, flashes of self-loathing ate away at her wires like rats, she kept herself from snapping because of Taylor. Because Taylor never treated her as if she was a child. And unlike Marquis, who only wanted her because of her power. Even though Taylor was as frail as any other meat bag, she never looked at her in fear. Instead she always fretted over her and praised her.

So no. Victoria wouldn't find it shameful to admit that she was simple. There was Taylor, and Taylor's dream in Victoria's world, and that was all that mattered. Even so, lately it was getting harder and harder to remain complacent. She wanted to fight, to feel the heat in her veins and dance around her opponents in triumph. She wanted to crush them, she wanted them to push back, and fight! She wanted to feel again.

The fight was getting dull as the attacks slowed down. Purity was panting for breath and Hookwolf sat underneath them, a mass of blades and – _heh_ – hooks in the form a dog. She idly wondered if she could house train him for Taylor.

This was all boring. Boring. Boring. **Boring**!

Her skin itched and nobody could scratch it. She wanted to feel something again, even if it was only pain. This drive, this desire kept pumping in her ears, the drums of war echoing in the background, and all she could see was targets; victims, as she flew around Hookwolf and Purity.

She could have taken Purity out, but her energy beams almost tickled, a faint echo of a memory. Hookwolf could take her punches and even managed to return some of them; but they were nothing; he, was nothing. To her delight, the world grew dimmer around her. A grin broke on her face when she looked up. Thousands of metal spears and blades materialized out of nothing and started falling at her. Like a child underneath the first winter snow she opened her arms wide and laughed.

"Give me more!"

After minutes of hit after hit, the noise stilled and the screech of metal halted. Victoria dug herself out of the metallic pile which resembled a small hill. Iron Rain and Purity were floating next to one another looking down on her. Hookwolf was circling, waiting for a chance to pounce.

And then everything went wrong.

Something sticky was on her feet and she looked down to see a white mass of something creeping upwards. She tried to kick it away with her foot, and managed to momentarily free it by leaving behind her sandal. She tried to move her legs but couldn't and then before she realized it, she was half covered with the stuff.

"What's this?!" she screeched.

Hookwolf laughed or maybe jeered she couldn't say, "That's containment foam, perfect for keeping feral little children in place."

"Fuck you, you piece—" Everything went _dark_.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the formating lol, had to update the chapter again...

Chapter 3

I kept a slow pace as I walked through the gardens. It was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the city's hustle and bustle. The plants were colorful and glowed in the darkness, I could almost hear them whisper and the only word I could assign to them was 'unnatural'. These things were created by Amelia. In a hurry I tried to pull my tattered shirt over my mouth. Anything Amelia created could be dangerous and I didn't want to die due to a random poisoning.

On the other side of the gardens was the mansion. A building made of red bricks and huge windows. Skeletal ornaments and bones lay on the corners and fires illuminating the dark.

I ducked behind a bush when someone barked orders which I couldn't hear, and a gaggle of soldiers made their exit heading south towards Vicky. The cacophony of collapsing buildings echoing all the way here, and the dust cloud visible across the entire Dome. I kept moving slowly, constant checks on all directions and when I reached the building I fazed through the wall.

I scoffed in contempt when I saw the inside.

Extravagant luxury in golden plates; red patterned tapestries and portraits hanging on them, with various depictions – I would love to sit and watch them for hours – huge tapestries and overzealous lamps hanging off the ceiling. People weren't starving by any definition under the Dome. If anything the production Drones created a surplus of food for everyone. However the grandeur of this place screamed superiority to everyone who was inside it. It was unneeded and excessive, and it all somehow grated at my nerves.

"Coming here was foolish of you, Thief." I supressed my urge to flinch and turned around.

I forced myself to grin, "Made anymore slaves lately, Amelia dear?"

My smile grew even wider when I caught her eyes widening a tiny fraction. My first impression of her was that she was weird. Not pudgy by any means but curvy, she was at least a head shorter than me with mousy and short dark hair. I threw out almost all previous information I had on her as I witnessed how awkward she was.

She seemed nervous, almost scared? I could see her struggle not to fidget, "You aren't here to fight." I said finally.

"I don't fight, " she said.

"Then, why are you here?"

"Mar— Father, keeps complaining about you. Poking your nose where you shouldn't; stealing from ours, he says. No one can escape him, and no one is more powerful than him, so you made me curious." Her head leaned sideways and she narrowed her eyes, " Why do you keep resisting? What are you hoping to achieve with this little… Invasion?"

I couldn't help myself. I laughed. "You came here just for that? What if I killed you? Right now." I asked as I drew out my knife.

Amelia shook her head in denial. No hesitation in the movement or her voice, "You can't kill me."

I forced my grin to widen, to make her feel more nervous and to give myself time with this little puzzle that fell on my lap. In the end flicked my knife and she tensed, until I sat down on the carpet and pat the spot next to me for her to sit. She seemed to ponder whether that was a good idea or not and finally decided to just sit, albeit a bit farther away.

"The short answer to your question is that I want to go outside the dome, and one of the people Marquis abducted has the tools to help me do that. " I shot her a sidelong gaze, "However that's not what you wanted to hear. You want to understand why I want to go outside?"

She nodded, a slight short gesture I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking at her, I let a breath escape my lips. "There are a lot things that I am and aren't. Most often than not, I'm not sure which of which is 'it'.

"Am I a good person? I don't know. Am I wrong, for doing what I do? I don't know. In the end I guess it doesn't matter. It's inconsequential because whether I am or aren't is only a symptom of my choices and actions. "

Amelia tried to interrupt me but I shushed her, "That's my definition of freedom. Even inside this cage, you and I are free because we can do whatever we want to, " I chuckled, "but that isn't entirely true, is it? That's what Marquis says, that we are free. However, we lack agency, you and I. We own nothing, have nothing and whatever we think we do have can be taken at any time.

"So if that's the case, how can I say that I'm free in the first place? I don't have an answer to this paradox. So I keep seeking, searching for a response. I'm sure that when I finally see the outside, I'll get it. When I see the devastated skyline and scorched earth, I'll understand.

The people outside will explain everything to me, I'm sure."

She looked at me for a moment before she stood up. She offered her hand and as crazy as it sounds I knew she wouldn't hurt me. On my way up, every ache healed and I felt alert and rejuvenated. She pulled a pin made out of bone from her hair and it twisted and cracked under her touch. She offered it to me, a knife made of bone.

"It's covered with poison, even a small dose will be lethal against most people, " she turned around and started walking away, "you are going to die today," she said with a matter of fact tone, "for what it's worth, I'd have loved to see the outside."

* * *

Her eyes brought back memories of fear from a long time ago. A man using words more dangerous than actual weapons, and a sinister smile that chilled him to his core. He missed the similarity at first.

She was eight-years-old when he came into her house.

The neighbours had called him in, said that they had been under the influence of a master for weeks, and so he came personally to investigate. The air stank of rot and blood, the floors were covered in it. There was no noise and he gagged when he finally noticed it. It was a corpse, a female half-eaten and already decayed down to bones. The flesh was stuck to the wooden floor and it was surrounded with insects.

He noticed the bloodied footsteps leading towards the basement.

They were barely visible in the dark, only the light hitting them at the right angle from the doorstep highlighted the dancing dust above them. Marquis followed down the stairs and there he found the girl.

She looked a fright, caked in blood and grime; her eyes glinted against his flashlight. Underneath her feet laid another body, this one was a male – probably her own father. She had killed him, a pencil protruded through his temple.

And then he noticed it, the huge smile with too many teeth on her face.

The people of the Dome came to call it the 'Joker Incident'. Much like heartbreaker, the man could make everyone in a fairly large radius happy. Her mother probably smiled and cheered during her own death; the girl on the other hand triggered – a fairly decent Trump power – and in the moments where he was unconscious she killed him.

He wasn't a bad man. Not really.

Marquis liked to think that life and death, went hand in hand with honor. Laws were too rigid, too generic to provide what the world needed. After the Golden Pair descended onto the world, and parahumans popped out of the woodworks, laws became obsolete.

Might made right and it made the world spin. Only rules, agreements, and their honoring could establish any kind of balance; and he had proved it! The very city he now controlled was ran like a practical Utopia.

No one hungered. No one lacked roof and clothing. No one lacked education.

All he had to do, was enforce his rules – keep the boogieman appeased – and everything would run smoothly forever and ever.

Experimental Habitat Three-Oh-Seven would be a success.

Marquis was taken out of his musings by Sophia's shaking on her chair. Like a bull that one wouldn't stay still. She wasn't really a 'problem' but…

She wasn't really needed either. So! He clapped his hands lightly to get her attention, "It's fine Miss Hess. This is all for the sake of appearances. Once we capture her, you will be released."

Sophia shot him a glare but stopped making noise.

It took Taylor about ten more minutes to find her way to his office. She thought she was being sneaky by coming through the ceiling. Marquis waited patiently for her to faze through entirely. He could see her eyes widen in shock and when she landed, he executed Sophia on the spot.

Taylor neé Hebert fell down screaming while clutching her head.


End file.
